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Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are at least as efficacious and safe as warfarin among non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients; limited evidence is available regarding NVAF patients with heart failure (HF). US Medicare enrollees with NVAF and HF initiating DOACs (apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran) or warfarin were selected. Propensity score matching and Cox models were used to estimate the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (SE), major bleeding (MB), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) comparing DOACs versus warfarin and DOACs versus DOACs. We identified 10,570 apixaban-warfarin, 4,297 dabigatran-warfarin, 15,712 rivaroxaban-warfarin, 4,263 apixaban-dabigatran, 10,477 apixaban-rivaroxaban, and 4,297 dabigatran-rivaroxaban matched pairs. Compared to warfarin, apixaban had lower rates of stroke/SE (hazard ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval = 0.48–0.85), MB (hazard ratio = 0.66, 0.58–0.76), and MACE (hazard ratio = 0.73,0.67–0.79); dabigatran and rivaroxaban had lower rates of MACE (hazard ratio = 0.87,0.77–0.99; hazard ratio = 0.84, 0.79–0.89, respectively). Rivaroxaban had a lower stroke/SE rate (hazard ratio = 0.65, 0.52–0.81) and higher MB rate (hazard ratio = 1.18, 1.08–1.30) versus warfarin. Compared to dabigatran and rivaroxaban, apixaban had lower MB (hazard ratio = 0.71, 0.57–0.89; hazard ratio = 0.55, 0.49–0.63) and MACE rates (hazard ratio = 0.80, 0.69–0.93; hazard ratio = 0.86, 0.79–0.94), respectively. All DOACs had lower MACE rates versus warfarin; differences were observed in stroke/SE and MB. Our findings provide insights about OAC therapy among NVAF patients with HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This ARISTOPHANES analysis examined stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding (MB) among a subgroup of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients with obesity prescribed warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in order to inform clinical decision making. A retrospective observational study was conducted among NVAF patients who were obese and initiated apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or warfarin from 1 January 2013–30 September 2015, with data pooled from CMS Medicare and four US commercial claims databases. Propensity score matching was completed between NOACs and against warfarin in each database, and the results were pooled. Cox models were used to evaluate the risks of stroke/SE and MB. A total of 88,461 patients with obesity were included in the study. Apixaban and rivaroxaban were associated with a lower risk of stroke/SE vs. warfarin (HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49–0.82 and HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72–0.98). Dabigatran was associated with a similar risk of stroke/SE compared to warfarin. Compared with warfarin, apixaban and dabigatran had a lower risk of MB (HR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.49–0.61 and HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63–0.91). Rivaroxaban was associated with a similar risk of MB compared to warfarin. In this high-risk population with obesity, NOACs had a varying risk of stroke/SE and MB vs. warfarin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]